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bookish_mrs_w's review against another edition
4.0
The City of Ember is such a delightful book to listen too! The narrator has such a soothing voice and the light sound effects add to the atmosphere. I’m so glad this ended up on our Battle of the Books list for this upcoming school year. I’ve had students tell me how much they enjoy this series, so it forced me to move it up in my TBR. I can see why they enjoy it so much. Even though I listened to the audiobook, I still plan on reading the physical book to fully take it all in as well.
gwen_pageturner's review against another edition
3.0
I hadn't read this book since I was much younger, maybe middle school or younger, but I remembered the basic gist of it. However, I was not prepared for how slow paced it was. Definitely meant for a younger audience, but there is so much buildup and naivety that the adventure itself doesn't happen until the last five chapters or so. There are many lessons Lina and Doon learn that are achingly obvious for an adult reader; for example, them telling the guards about the mayor, not thinking that the guards are on his side. I'm going to stick with the series for now, but it is not my cup of tea.
flowersofquiethappiness's review against another edition
3.0
That was fun! A little slow in parts for my taste, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It was still an adventure I enjoyed listening to.
ambercole71120's review against another edition
5.0
Cute, dystopian style novel with great mystery! Would recommend for about 4th or 5th grade! Or as a read aloud in 3rd grade.
beths0103's review against another edition
3.0
while I understand the allegorical nature of this story, I would love to know what Duprau's thought was for the REASON why people had to move to the City of Ember in the first place. Was it a nuclear holocaust? The thought that earth would be destroyed due to a giant meteor a la Armageddon?
Perhaps this question is answered in the next book? I guess I'll have to find out.
I loved the audio version of this story. I thought the narrator did an excellent job and I loved the added sound effects. I definitely recommend the audio version of this book if you like listening to books on CD.
Perhaps this question is answered in the next book? I guess I'll have to find out.
I loved the audio version of this story. I thought the narrator did an excellent job and I loved the added sound effects. I definitely recommend the audio version of this book if you like listening to books on CD.
dlberglund's review against another edition
4.0
It was a great book, but listening to it became frustrating as the characters tried to decipher a message...I need the visuals! It's a vision-of-the-future kind of book (like The Giver, in a way) that I liked a lot. Looking forward to reading the sequel!
ellabell57's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
k5tog's review against another edition
5.0
For me, this was the ideal type of young adult (or possibly middle school age) book - dystopian society, young potential heroes, a bit of a cliff hanger at the end. I look forward to reading more in the series.
thereadingknitter's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book a lot. I might re listen to it over the summer with my daughter because it was definitely a clean read.
rebecita's review against another edition
3.0
The premise of this series is really cool, and I enjoyed the story, but there was so much unused potential here. I want more intrigue, more developed characters, more depth overall. Everything was a little one-dimensional, though not predictable. Definite points for following through on the backstory. I'm hooked enough to continue with the sequels, but I will pass on the audiobooks next time. I actually kept meaning to switch this one for the hard copy but somehow finished it first... the voices were annoying, and listening to instead of viewing the word puzzle that's central to the story was reeeally annoying.
Just because I like to complain... there are lots of distracting plot-holey things, but here's a few that I just can't let go of. The 12 year olds get NO JOB TRAINING. Literally, they show up to their first day and within 2 seconds they are out in the field fixing pipes or carrying messages to the mayor. Similarly, I get that the policemen in town are not the brightest bulbs around (and presumably benefit from the same lack of training), but they start a major manhunt for two kids WITHOUT EVER CHECKING THEIR HOMES. Most importantly, CANNED GOODS WILL NOT LAST FOR 200 YEARS.
Just because I like to complain... there are lots of distracting plot-holey things, but here's a few that I just can't let go of. The 12 year olds get NO JOB TRAINING. Literally, they show up to their first day and within 2 seconds they are out in the field fixing pipes or carrying messages to the mayor. Similarly, I get that the policemen in town are not the brightest bulbs around (and presumably benefit from the same lack of training), but they start a major manhunt for two kids WITHOUT EVER CHECKING THEIR HOMES. Most importantly, CANNED GOODS WILL NOT LAST FOR 200 YEARS.